Photos are here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wY9cramhsWJkWXa9A
BEFORE MY START: My 46th race of 2021 was the Boerne Family YMCA 5K and 10K held on November 20 in Boerne, Texas, about a 30 – 40-minute drive from my San Antonio home. There was also a 1-mile walk. This is one of my favorite races of the year. This was the 10th anniversary of the event, and I have done them all since it first started, so this is one of my streak races. This year, since I am getting radiation treatment for prostate cancer and had a treatment the day before this event, I was not sure if I would make it or not. Woke up Saturday morning feeling pretty good so I proceeded to Boerne. Start and finish at the town square, a really nice “park-like” area with a Gazebo, restroom facility, and lots of room for everyone. Mother Nature was pretty nice to us fort this one, giving us a sunny day, no wind, and temps in the low to mid 50s. A little child for me, lol, I prefer it about 60-and-up, so I wore my race shirt under a long-sleeved shirt and then ditched the long-sleeved one until after the race, so I’d have a dry shirt to put back on. After I arrived my friend, Jada, who had kindly picked up my packet the day before, found me and gave me my race bib. After that, wandered around getting some pre-start photos and chatting with other participants. Encountered my YMCA volunteer friend Sally who told me this was their biggest year ever, with over 1,000 people registered for the races and the walk, zowie.
ON THE COURSE: The 10K participants started about 5 minutes before the 5K folks. Then we 5K folks got going. I thought it was kind of funny, the MC called for the 5K people to line up….and we participants were already half-way around the square, lol. I guess someone forgot to tell him we were already on our way. Not a relapse on his part, lol. I think he was going by the start time on the ‘official sheet”, and I believe we actually started a little earlier than that time. The course is a really nice one with wide streets and lots of maneuvering room for all, which was good since this is also a kid-and-dog and wheeled-vechicle (strollers, baby joggers, etc) event. Where I was at any given moment, I never saw anyone being cut off, interfered with, etc. This is a very friendly and ‘neighborly’ event, lots of people encouraging each other, lots of smiles – where I was anyway – and several owners of the residences we passed by were out to cheer us on. I did my usual 8-minute run/2 minute walk break thing and took some photos during my walk breaks. Around Mile 2 one of the dogs I had given a treat to before the start recognized me and the poor guy holding its leash had his arm go out as the dog veered and tried to head toward me, lol. The guy had a good sense of humor about it. I gave the guy a couple of my treats and he laughed and said ok, then, this will keep her next to me. Lol . I ended up finishing 2nd out of 4 in my 65 – 69 age group, with a chip time of 38:10, averaging 12:17 per mile. One of my friends told me if I didn’t stop to take photos I’d probably do 35 or 36 minutes. Maybe so, but I enjoy what I’m doing and, really, at my age and with my issues – cancer, pacemaker in my chest, spinal arthritis – I really only have 2 goals for my races: finish standing up and no ambulance specifically waiting for me at the finish, lol. Goals met! And I thoroughly enjoyed myself, so it’s all good.
AFTER MY FINISH: Walked back to my car – I’d been lucky to find parking pretty close to the square – and got my dry shirt back on, and stocked up with more treats since there were a lot of doggies at this event. Then back to the square to get some ‘after’ photos, chat with friends and other participants – including the dogs, lol – hand out some more treats and enjoy some of the post-race goodies. A very enjoyable event, indeed!
Epilogue: As noted before, one of my favorite events Race shirt is always a nice quality long-sleeved tee; the course is very good; and the after-party is really nice, with all kinds of offered goodies including a served-up cowboy breakfast; post-race beer – and I think there was even a wine booth – all kinds of other foods, including various pastries and sweets, protein and nutrition bars, coffee, and various vendors giving away lots of souvenir freebies. This event is definitely a keeper. If you’ve never done it before, give it a try; you might just become addicted to it.
MUCHO THANKS TO: Boerne YMCA for putting this one one, and all their staff and volunteers that were out that day for we participants; all the sponsors that always help make this one happen for we participants; the police officers and EMTs and all the others who were there for our safety; the City of Boerne for allowing this “live’ event – you could also do it virtually – all those ‘booth” people out there, giving us all those pre-and-post race goodies; and thank to all the residents of the neighborhoods we went through for their patience as we invaded there space for a while; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all!
Scottydog Reports 